Fun Fact Friday: Sugar

In the 1990s a study revealed that half of the total calorie intake of most San people came from sugar. The study also revealed that the average body weight dropped by almost 10% as their diet transitioned from being mostly hunter gatherers to based on refined carbohydrates. The result of this transition of diet is a minor epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the community where almost everyone is thin and malnourished.

Living in Tsumkwe we discovered that tea was a meal. The San love their strong black tea with lots and lots of sugar. Jeremy went one evening to pray for a man who appeared to be on his death bed. In reality, his sugar had dropped too low. After drinking some tea (almost syrup), he was back to normal the next day.